Medallion



Nov. 30 1926.

c. L. CRUVER MEDALLION Filed July 13. 1925 2 Sheets-Skies: 1

wk" hi4? Nov. 30 1926. 1,609,067

' c. 1.. CRUVER MEDALLION.

Filed July 13, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED s'rArss rarsar OFFICE.

CURTIS L. ORUVER, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

MEDALLION.

Application filed July is, 1925. Serial No. 43,177.

This invention relates to what are commercially known as medallions which are constructed of sheet metal and sheet celluloid, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this character, the several component parts of which are produced and, in part, assembled at the factory, the assembled portions being then shipped to the consumer in such condition as to permit the latter to insert a photograph or picture and assemble the several parts to complete the structure.

The invention may be variously embodied and in the accompanying drawings, 1 have illustrated the preferred embodiments thereof. In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a medallion constructed in accordance with the invent-ion.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe same with the back-element removed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail section on the line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail section on the lines 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a framentary perspective view of a corner portion of the frame seen from the rear.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating the modification shown in Fig. 6, the back-plate being added.

Heretofore, for many years, the type of device to which the invention relates, has been so" constructed as to require the dealer (usually a photographer) to be supplied with special equipment for effecting assembly of the several component elements of the structure with the photograph or picture disposed in proper place,

The device of the present invention comprises a front wall portion which consists of a frame 1 of sheet metal of any desired peripheral contour but most commonly of oblong form with rounded corners. This frame 1 is provided with a rearwardly disposed continuous peripheral flange 2 extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the frame and preferably slightly convergent. The body of saidframe being,

preferably, slighty dished so that its central portion is disposed outwardly with respect to the flanged portion thereof. An opening of whatever size and shape may be desired is provided in the center of said plate 1.

An apertured sheet 3 of transparent celluloidor other suitable material, backed usually by a fanciful paper mat 4 to constitute an ornamental border for the aforesaid opening, and which conforms in shape with and is of greater length and width than the frame 1, is mounted upon the latter so that the paper mat or backing 4 rests, at least in part, upon the outer face of said plate. The said backing ethas a'central opening which is either coincident with or, usually, smaller than said opening in said plate. The said backing is also permanently joined to the celluloid sheet by any of the well known means for accomplishing this.

By means of suitable dies, the edges of the celluloid sheet 3 and backing 41- are crimped or formed to practically completely and snugly house thev flange 2 of the frame 1 as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 7 and provide a peripheral edge-portion 5 which lies upon the inner face of the frame 1. Thus the unobstructed portion of the celluloid sheet 3 becomes disposed-centrally of the opening in the frame 1.

A plate 6 of sheet metal of a length and width to be received within the peripheral flange 2 of the frame 1 and the inner covering thereof, effected by folding the edge portion of the celluloid sheet and backing over said flange, and which corresponds in peripheral contour with the frame 1, is now forced into the hollow of the frame 1, so that the edge portion of the frame 6 rests upon the edge portion 5 of the celluloid while the peripheral edge of the frame 6, which is relative-1y sharp and burred, engages that portion of the celluloid which covers the inner face of the flange 2. The celluloid sheet is thus firmly clamped against all possible displacement and the frame 6 also held againstremoval except by the exercise of considerable force.

Th frame 6 is provided with a reinforc ing formation 7 inwardly of its peripheral edge portion consisting of a continuous rib projecting from its rear face and presenting a groove opposing the inner face -of the frame 1.

The frame 6 is provided with a central opening which is preferably of the same size and shape as the central opening of the frame 1.

Either the frame 1, as shown in Figs. 1, El and 3, or the plate 6, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5, is provided, preferably at the corners of the central opening therein, with integral tongues or projections 8 or 8, respectively, which project perpendicularly to the planes of the frames 1 and 6. These tongues or projections 8 are preferably disposed on the frame 1 and the frame 6 is provided at the four corners of the central opening therein, with recesses 9.

The structure above described constitutes the front or face element of the medallion for receiving a photograph or picture.

The back element of the device consists of a sheet metal plate 10 provided with a continuous peripheral edge flange 11 which is substantially of exactly the contour of the peripheral edge of the frame 6, being preferably inappreciably smaller than the latter so as to be received within the exposed covered portion of the flange 2 without requiring to be forced into the same. Said plate 10 is provided with a central dished portion 12, the convex face of which opposes the central portion of the celluloid sheet 3 and which is of such depth as to almost contact with the latter so that a picture disposed between said celluloid and the dished portion 12 of the plate 10 will be pressed against said celluloid sheet as the back-plate 10 is mounted within the face-element of the medallion.

The central dished portion of the back-plate 10 is preferably elliptical and of greater diameters than the openings in the frames 1 and 6. The picture or photograph inserted into the medallion should preferably be of smaller dimensions than the openings in frames 1 and 6 and of larger dimensions than the opening in the mat 4.

At the four corners of the back-plate there are substantially triangular formations 13 presenting recesses in the exposed face of said back-plate, one peripheral wall of each of these recesses being, so to speak, concentrio with the periphery of the central dished portion 12, the remaining walls being parallel with the side and end edges, respectively, of said plate 10, and being joined by rounded corner portions concentric with the corners of the plate 10. In the bottom of each of the recesses 18 is a slot 14 of dimensions, and position to receive the projections or tongues 8 of frame 1 or the tongues or projections 8 of the frame 6 and the pro jecting end portions of said tongues are bent over upon the bottoms of said recesses 13 to thereby firmly couple the face-element and back-element of the medallion.

It will be obvious, of course, that it is preferable to provide the tongues S on the frame 1 as, by so doing, the frame 6 is relieved ofall strain tending to withdraw it from the hollow of the frame 1, the resulting completed structure being thus rendered stronger than if the tongues 8 of frame 6 were employed.

The face-element and back-clement of the medallion are constructed at the factory and shipped in pairs to photographers and other consumers who insert photographs or pictures, assemble and sell them, the assembly being easily and quickly accomplished without the use of tools.

The purchaser or the dealer may insert the photograph or other picture 15 which is firmly held between the dished portion 12 of the back plate and the celluloid face 3,

the element 15 being overlapped peripherally by the inner edge portion of the mat 4; bordering the opening in the latter.

I claim as my invention 1. A medallion comprising a face element consisting of twoopposed sheet metal frames each provided with a central opening, the outer of said frames having a peripheral edge flange, a sheet of transparent celluloid covering the outer face of said outer frame and having its peripheral edge portion folded over said flange thereof to house the latter, the other .of said plates fitting snugly within said covered flange with its periphery engaged with the inner covering of said flange to prevent disengagement of said celluloid sheet, tongues extending rearwardly from the outer of said frames, a back element' consisting of a sheet metal plate having a peripheral edge flange disposed in opposed relation to the edge flange of the covered frame of the face element and fitting substantially telescopically within the latter to bear upon the edge portion. of the inner frame, there being slots in the back plate disposed for the passage of said tongues, the projecting portions of said tongues adapted to be bent over to secure said back plate against removal.

2. A medallion comprising a faceelement consisting of a pair of opposed sheet metal frames each provided with a central opening, the outer of said frames having a peripheral edge flange, a sheet of transparent celluloid covering the outer face of said outer frame and having its peripheral edge portion folded over said flange thereof to house the latter, the other of said frames fitting snugly within the covered flange of the other frame with its periphery engaged with the inner covering of said flange to prevent disengagement of said celluloid sheet, tongues integral with the covered frame and extending coincidentallywith its edge flange and through the opening in the inner frame, a back element consisting of a sheet metal plate having a peripheral edge flange disposed in opposed relation to the covered edge flange of the outer frame and fitting substantially telescopically within the latter to bear upon the edge portion of the inner frame, there being slots in the back plate disposed for the passage of said tongues, the projecting portions of said tongues adapted to be bent over to secure the said back plate against removal.

3. A medallion comprising a face element and a back element,v the former comprising a sheet metal frame and a celluloid covering therefor, the latter having its peripheral edge portion folded over the peripheral edge portion of said frame, an intermediate frame disposed to engage and retain the peripheral edge portion of said celluloid covering to hold the same against displacement, there being central openings in both said frames, tongues integral with the covered frame extending from the wall of the central opening therein through the central opening in the intermediate frame, said back element consisting of a sheet metal plate having a continuous peripheral flange and provided with slots for the passage of said tongues, the latter adapted to be bent over upon said plate to couplethe same with said face element and secure the intermediate frame against removal,'said front and back elements telescopically interfitting.

4. A medallion comprising a face element and a back element, the former comprising an outer sheet metal frame and a celluloid covering therefor, the latter having its peripheral edge portion folded over the peripheral edge portion of said frame, an intermediate frame disposed .to engage and retain the peripheral edge portion of said celluloid covering to hold thesame against displacement, there being central openings in both said frames, tongues integral with the covered frame extending from .the wall of its central opening through the central opening in the intermediate frame, said back element consisting of a sheet metal plate having a continuous peripheral flange and provided with slots for the passage of said tongues, the latter adapted to be bent over upon said plate to couple the same With said face element and secure the intermediate frame against removal, said covered plate having a peripheral edge flange opposing the edge flange of the back plate, the central portion of the latter dished to project in the direction of its edge flange, said face and back elements telescopically interfitting.

CURTIS L. CRUVER. 

